Court Throws Out Simonsen’s Lawsuit

A U.S. District Court judge has thrown out a $1 million lawsuit filed by former Bonner County School Superintendent Lorence Simonsen.

Simonsen resigned from the district in May of 1992 after serving only one trouble-filled year. He later filed suit against the district and board of trustees saying he was intimidated, harassed and forced to resign.

But when Simonsen announced his resignation he said he was leaving of his own free will. “I came, I saw, I did and I left,” he said.

School district officials said Simonsen hired an attorney to negotiate the terms of his abrupt resignation and he was not coerced to leave.

Simonsen wanted $500,000 in back wages and for damage to his reputation, $400,000 for future lost wages and $100,000 for punitive damages.

Instead, a judge dismissed the case and ordered Simonsen to pay court cost of $1,969. , DataTimes